Stylish Kilkenny brush aside Clare challenge.

Kilkenny 2-22     Clare 0-06

Kilkenny finished with 2-20 from play as they proved far too strong for an under strength Clare when they recorded an easy 2-22 to 0-06 point victory in Freshford on Saturday.

Kilkenny began the game well with the wind at their backs and raced into an eight point lead in the opening nine minutes. Ann Dalton opened the victors scoring in the second minute. Katie Power doubled Kilkenny’s advantage with a point when she latched onto an Ann Dalton sideline puck in the fourth minute. Denise Gaule then tapped over a free a minute later after Michelle Quilty was fouled.  Kilkenny were nearly in for a goal in the fifth minute when Anna Farrell latched onto a Miriam Walsh pass, but Clare net minder Denise Lynch was equal to her effort. Ann Dalton then tapped over a point in the sixth minute before Aisling Dunphy tapped over a point a minute later. Ann Dalton then tapped over her third point of the game less than a minute later to put Kilkenny 0-06 points to no score ahead.  Miriam Walsh then tapped over two points on the trot in the eighth and ninth minutes to put Kilkenny 0-08 points to no score ahead, and it wasn’t looking good for the Banner ladies. Michelle Caulfield responded to this onslaught with a point in the eleventh minute for Clare, but Kilkenny hit back with the next five points. Ann Dalton started the run with a point in the thirteenth minute after latching onto an Edel Maher pass. Katie Power then tapped over a point in the seventieth minute after latching onto an Anna Farrell pass. Miriam Walsh then tapped over her third point of the afternoon in the twenty third minute. Anna Farrell then tapped over a point a minute later when she latched onto an Ann Dalton pass from thirty meters. Ann Dalton then tapped over a point in the twenty seventh minute to put Kilkenny 0-13 points to 0-01 clear. Clare responded with a Chloe Morey free in the twenty eight minute. Kilkenny closed out the half with two points on the bounce. Edel Maher started the run with a point in the twenty ninth minute. Denise Gaule closed out the first half scoring with a point in the second minute of injury time when she latched onto an Ann Dalton pass to put Kilkenny 0-15 points to 0-02 ahead at the break. It was a great first half for Kilkenny with fourteen points of their first half total coming from play. The movement and passing of the Kilkenny team was really impressive and Clare were in difficulty all around the field and needed a big second half to get back into the game.

Kilkenny started the second half where they left off in the first and got the opening two points. Aisling Dunphy started the run with a point in the thirty first minute after latching onto an Ann Dalton pass. Michelle Quilty then tapped over a point a minute later. Clare responded with three points in a row. Chloe Morey taped over a free in the thirty sixth minute. Aoife Keane then tapped over a well taken point from play a minute later, before Chloe Morey tapped over a further free in the forty third minute to make it 0-17 points to 0-05.  Denise Gaule responded with a massive free from the half way line in the forty seventh minute before Chloe Morey got Clare’s last score of the game in the fifty second minute from a free. Kilkenny closed out the game with 2-04 without reply. Katie Power started the run with a point in the fifty fourth minute from twenty one meters.  Denise Gaule then got in for two goals in as many minutes. The first of her brace came in the fifty fifth minute when she latched onto a rebound from a long range Aine Gannon shot to blast home from the edge of the small square.  She then got in for Kilkenny’s second goal a minute later when she latched onto a Katie Power pass to blast home from close range.  Michelle Quilty tapped over a point from the resulting puck out before Davina Tobin tapped over a point in the fifty ninth minute. Aine Gannon closed out the scoring for the victors with a point on the stroke of full time to see Kilkenny home on a 2-22 to 0-06 point score line with a total of 2-20 of the tally coming from play.  Next up for Kilkenny is an away trip to Derry on Saturday next. Venue to be confirmed.

Scorers – Kilkenny: Denise Gaule 2-03 (2f), Ann Dalton 0-05, Katie Power 0-03, Miriam Walsh 0-03, Aisling Dunphy 0-02, Michelle Quilty 0-02, Davina Tobin 0-01, Aine Gannon 0-01, Anna Farrell 0-01, Edel Maher 0-01 Clare: Chloe Morey 0-04 (4f), Aoife Keane 0-01, Michelle Caulfield 0-01.

Kilkenny: Siobhan Murphy Claire Phelan, Edwina Keane, Catherine Foley, Jacqui Frisby, Colette Dormer, Davina Tobin, Aisling Dunphy, Edel Maher, Ann Dalton, Anna Farrell, Denise Gaule, Michelle Quilty, Miriam Walsh, Katie Power.

Sub: Emma Kavanagh, Aoife Neary, Aine Gannon, Mary O’Connell, Kate McDonald (Capt), Aine Connery, Catherine Doherty, Stacey Quirke, Mairead Power, Shelly Farrell, Meighean Farrell.

Clare: Denise Lynch, Carol O’Leary, Máire McGrath, Aoife Griffin, Kathleen Horgan, Róisín McMahon, Orlaith Duggan, Kate Lynch, Clare Hehir, Ailish Considine, Eimear Kelly, Aoife Keane, Vera Loughnane, Chloe Morey, Michelle Caulfield.

Subs: Rebecca Keating, Amy Keating, Kate O’Gorman, Emma O’Driscoll, Zoe McInerney, Teresa O’Keeffe, Andrea O’Keeffe, Emma O’Connell, Sláine Carey, Saoirse Glynn, Aoibheann Malone, Naomi Carroll, Lisa Loughnane.

Referee: Karl O’Brien (Dublin)